Straight-bar knitting machine



the machine for knitting the heel tabs.

Patented Mar. 23, 1943 2,314,742 STRAIGHT-BAR KNITTING MACHINE Harry Wilfred Start, Carlton, and Ernest Start,

Wilford', England Application January 6, 1942.,

Serial No. 425,792

In Great Britain November 22, 1940 4 Claims. (Cl. 66-148) This invention relates to improvements in straight-bar knitting machines and refers to apparatus for more efficiently running work on the needles of such machines. In one method of making a stocking, a blank comprising the leg, instep and sole part is first made and this blank is then run on the needles of a machine specially adapted for knitting the heel tabs to the blank. The blank may be run directly on the needles of This operation requires some skill and in a ne gauge machine great care is necessary otherwise the needles Will be bent or damaged and faulty work produced. Alternatively the work is first run on a set of transfer points which are then placed in position 0n the needles of the machine and the work transferred from the points to the needles. The points are placed in engagement with the needles when the latter are in their lowest position and the sinkers withdrawn. The machine is then turned by hand to advance the sinkers over the work on the points and hold it down whilst the needles are raised up through the work, 'after which the transfer points are removed and knitting continued in the usual manner. Both operations take some time to perform and consequently restrict the production of the machine. The object ofthe present invention is to provide apparatus which will enable this operation of running the work on theneedles to be more expeditiously carried out than hitherto and permit of its being performed by an unskilled operator.

According to this invention apparatus for running work onto the needles of a straight-bar knitting machine comprises points adapted to receive the work and instruments associated with the points and movable longitudinally thereof to press the work onto the needles after the points have been placed in engagement therewith. A further feature of the invention is the provision of means associated with the needle-bar to hold the points in the correct position relatively to the needles for the transfer of the work to the latter.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing .in which:

Fig. l is an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of apparatus constructed according to our invention.

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the apparatus in position on a needle-bar,

Fig. 4 is a cross section showing the initial engagement of the apparatus with the needlebar,

Fig. 5 is a cross section showing the apparatus in position on the needle bar with the points in engagement with the needles and Fig. 6 is a cross section showing the instruments displaced to transfer the work from the points to the needles.

Like letters indicate drawing.

In carrying out this invention the points A are carried by a bar B and attached thereto in the usual manner. Associated with the points A are instruments C and these instruments are clisposed between and extend some little distance to the rear of the points and are mounted on a second bar D which is carried by arms E pivoted on the point bar or as shown to ends of the arms F which carry the point bar so that the instruments C are moveable longitudinally relatively to the points A. The instruments C are normally disposed close to the inner end of the points A, that is, close to the bar B which carries the points, and springs G may be provided to hold the bar up tothe stops-H disposed in lugs H1 on the arms F. As shown in the drawing the arms E are pivoted on pins J secured in the ends of the arms F and these pins J extend some distance through the arms E for the purpose hereinafter described.

In order to hold the points A in the correct position relatively to the needles K (see Fig. 3) to transfer the work held by the points onto the needles the following arrangement is adopted. Disposed on each end of the needle bar L is a bracket M and these brackets may be either removeably attached to the needle-bar or permanently fixed thereto. The upper ends of the brackets may be adapted to receive the ends of the point bar and hold the latter so that the points register with the needles and can be moved into engagement therewith. Preferably however the upper ends of the brackets M are formed with slots N (see Figs. 4 to 6) which are adapted to receive the pins J previously mentioned and disposed in the ends of the arms F and clearly shown in Figs. 3 to 6 of the drawing. Faces are provided on the outer sides of the brackets M to engage with corresponding faces on the arms E so that when the pins J engage in the slots N the points A register with the needles K. In order to hold the points in the correct position after they have been moved into engagement with the needles, outwardly extending arms O are provided on the brackets M and the upper ends of these arms like parts throughout the engage abutments P provided on the arms F, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5. If desired set screws may be provided in the ends of the arms on the brackets to engage with the abutments on the point bar arms F to accurately adjust the position of the needle-bar.

In operation the blank to be run on the needles ls rst run onto the points on the point bar which is held with the points uppermost, that is, in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, during this operation. The point bar is then turned over and the pins J placed in position in the brackets M on the needle bar, as shown in Fig. 4, the needle bar being withdrawn from the sinkers and in its highest position, in which it normally comes to rest. The point bar is then lowered into the position shown in Fig. 5 where the points are pressed into engagement with the needles and the instruments associated with the points then moved longitudinally thereof into the position shown in Fig. 6 to press the work (indicated by the dotted line in Figs. 4 to 6) onto the needles, after which the point bar is removed and the needle-bar moved into its normal position and knitting carried out in the usual manner.

The arrangement described forms a simple apparatus for running the work onto the needles of a straight-bar knitting machine and is particularly applicable for use with a machine adapted for knitting the heel tabs to a stocking blank comprising a leg, instep and sole part.

The operation can be carried out by an unskilled person, as the blank is easily run on to the points and the latter engaged with the needles, there is no danger of straining or damaging the needles and no movement of the machine is required other than the withdrawal of the needlebar from the sinkers and its return to operative lposition. The operation is performed in much less time than that taken by the methods used hitherto with a consequent increase in the production obtainable from the machines.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. Mechanism for running Work on the needles of a straight-bar knitting machine comprising, in combination, needles, points to receive the work, a bar to hold the points, means pivotally mounting the point holding bar so that the points may be swung into position to engage with the needles and instruments associated with the points and moveable longitudinally thereof by a swinging movement about the point holding bar pivot center to press the work onto the needles after the latter have been engaged by the points.

2. Mechanism for running Work onto the needles of a straight-bar knitting machine comprising, in combination, needles, a needle-bar, points to receive the work, a bar to hold the points, arms on the point holding bar, means shiftably supporting said arms, brackets on the needlebar to engage with the arms and definitely position the points in engagement with the needles, instruments associated with the points, a bar to hold the instruments, and arms on this latter bar pivoted to the point bar arms to permit movement of the instruments longitudinally of the points to press the Work onto the needles after the latter have been engaged by the points.

3. In a straight bar knitting machine, a removably mountable work transfer bar comprising a point holding bar, arms supporting said bar and having trunnion pins projecting therefrom, transfer members intervening the points, a bar supporting said members, arms projecting from said member supporting bar and pivotally mounted on said pins, stopl means, and spring means normally holding the member supporting bar against said stop means to place the transfer members between the points and away from the free ends thereof, said transfer members and their supporting bar being swingable along said points to strip work therefrom.

4.. In a straight bar knitting machine, a removably mountable Work transfer bar comprising a point holding bar, arms supporting said bar and having trunnion pins projecting therefrom, transfer members intervening the points, a bar supporting said members, arms projecting from said member supporting bar and pivotally mounted on said pins, stop means, and spring means normally holding the member supporting bar against said stop means to place the transfer members between the points and away from the free ends thereof, a needle-bar, needles projecting from the needle-bar, brackets extending from the needle-bar and having slots therein for removably receiving said trunnion pins, to swingably mount the point holding bar for movement to and from a position for engaging the ends of the points with the ends of the needles, and stop means on said brackets engageable by said point holding bar supporting arms for definitely placing the points when engaging the needles, said transfer members and their supporting bar being swingable along said points to strip work therefrom onto said needles.

HARRY WILF-"RED START. ERNEST START. 

